Playing House
by Kristen3
Summary: Sequel to "Baby Talk," by Anika aka BaronessBlixen , written w/ author's permission. While baby-sitting Roz's daughter, Niles and Daphne share a romantic evening.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Anika (BaronessBlixen) for letting me continue her wonderful story, "Baby Talk" here. Hope my story's as good as the original! Thanks to Leigh Ann for reading drafts.

"I hope Alice wasn't too much trouble," Roz said.

"No, not at all," Daphne replied. "You were right, she was tired. She went right to sleep." She and Niles exchanged a glance, both remembering how Niles had gotten the baby to sleep.

"Oh, well, good. I did manage to get those Springsteen tickets, by the way. So, I'm going to need a sitter again next Friday. Are you free?" Roz cringed as she waited, hoping Daphne wouldn't mind the inconvenience.

"Sure," Daphne replied, after barely a moment's hesitation. After all, Roz was her closest girlfriend.

"Great, thanks. You're the best!" Roz leaned in and quickly hugged Daphne. The embrace was a bit awkward, since Roz was holding Alice, but it didn't matter. Without another word, Roz left.

"Well, that was an interesting evening, wasn't it?" Daphne asked, turning back to Niles.

"I'll say," Niles agreed. "It was actually kind of fun. Alice is a great audience."

"Well, she sure did seem to love your voice."

Niles blushed. "Too bad we couldn't have done a duet."

Daphne smiled, knowing he was thinking of the night she'd prepared dinner at his apartment for his date. A simple chore of chopping vegetables had somehow led to a song. Daphne wasn't sure exactly how it had started, but it was one of the most fun evenings she could remember. "Dr. Crane, would you like to help me take care of Alice next Friday?"

Niles could hardly believe his ears. Was Daphne actually asking to see him? "I'd like that," he replied. Lately, he'd been so lonely at the Shangri-La, he would've taken any opportunity to spend an evening elsewhere. But the idea of helping Daphne baby-sit would've been welcomed under any circumstances. As things were, it was an answer to a prayer.


	2. Chapter 2

Niles lay awake, looking at his dismal surroundings. If he'd been lonely before, it was nothing compared to this. This apartment was smaller than most of the closets he'd had at the Montana. He sighed and forced himself to think of other things. He'd originally gone over to Frasier's tonight merely to get away from this place. He'd never imagined he'd end up baby-sitting Alice. He had virtually no experence whatsoever with infants, aside from pretending to care for a flour sack years ago. But what did it matter? His chances of ever becoming a father seemed to be near zero. In order to have children, he would need to find a woman. How could he do that when the only woman he wanted had no idea how he felt? Not only that, but even if he somehow _did_ get Daphne's attention, he could never hope to win her over by bringing her _here_. Daphne was an angel who deserved everything she could ever want. There was barely enough room here for his things, much less any of Daphne's belongings. She probably had more space now, living in Frasier's former study!

_At least I have her friendship_, Niles reminded himself. Though she did not know how desperately he wanted her, she did seem to enjoy his company. That was more than could be said for Maris. And not only that, but she had invited him to help her baby-sit for Alice. He strongly suspected she'd done it out of pity, knowing how lonely he'd been since his divorce. Still, a moment spent in her company, no matter the reason, was worth it. He just had to believe that.

Over at Elliot Bay Towers, Daphne also lay awake. She knew she really should be angry with Roz for dropping Alice off on such short notice. No doubt those concert tickets were for some man she'd just met at Cafe Nervosa. It seemed to Daphne that Roz had a new boyfriend nearly every week. Though she loved her friend dearly, it hurt to think of Roz's exciting life, while Daphne herself remained here with the Cranes. Most of the time she didn't mind working here, and it was true that she loved both Dr. Crane and Mr. Crane as if they were her own family. But the truth was, they weren't her family. Ever since she was a girl growing up in Manchester, Daphne had believed her destiny would be to find her soulmate, fall deeply in love, and raise a family. She'd even moved to the United States, believing she would have a better chance of finding her true love away from her family. But now, here she was, thousands of miles from her home, all alone. With a frustrated sigh, Daphne wiped the tears from her eyes before they could fall. There was nothing she could do now, except go to sleep, so that she could get up again and face whatever tomorrow might hold.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days passed quickly for both Niles and Daphne. Niles' patients kept him busy. He spent as little time as possible in his horrible apartment. Normally, he thought of an infant as nothing more than a large collection of germs, just waiting to attack his unsuspecting immune system. But the thought of spending an evening with Daphne seemed like heaven. He could hardly wait.

Daphne's days were also full, what with her chores and looking after Mr. Crane. She wished she had something more exciting planned for the weekend than baby-sitting for a friend, but she had promised Roz. And besides, Alice was such a good baby. Her sudden inspiration to invite the younger Dr. Crane also made her feel good. The poor man was clearly at one of the lowest points in his life. He always went out of his way to be kind to everyone, especially Daphne herself. She had a feeling they could both use a night out and an escape from their loneliness.

Because she knew that Niles had no baby-sitting experience, Daphne made a point to arrive at Roz's a bit early. This allowed her a chance to get all the details involved in taking care of Alice for the evening. She was also able to help make sure her friend looked perfect for her date. Roz thanked Daphne profusely, both for the baby-sitting and the clothing advice.

No sooner had Roz rushed out the door to meet her date, than Daphne heard the doorbell ring. "Dr. Crane," she said she opened it.

"I hope I'm not late," Niles said, hoping Daphne wouldn't notice the way his palms were sweating.

Daphne shook her head. "Roz just left."

Niles entered the apartment, his nerves still on edge. He saw Alice happily seated in her highchair. He eyed her warily.

"I was just about to put her down for her nap," Daphne explained. "Would you like to help?"

"Oh...all right," Niles replied. He watched as Daphne expertly lifted Alice out of her seat and carried her back into the nursery. He could hardly believe how natural it seemed.

When they got to the nursery, Daphne turned to Niles. "Would you hold her while go and fetch a blanket?"

Before Niles knew it, Daphne had handed him the infant. Uncertain of what to do, he held her well away from his clean suit.

Daphne sighed, amazed at his lack of parental instinct. "She's a baby, Dr. Crane. Not an explosive. Hold her like this." She took Alice back, holding her close while carefully supporting her head and neck."Here, now you try," She once again placed Alice in his arms.

Niles awkwardly took hold of her, trying his best to imitate what he'd seen Daphne do. He had no idea if he was doing it right or not. But when he looked down and saw the smile on little Alice's face, his heart melted completely.

Daphne's heart warmed at the sight of Dr. Crane holding the baby. "I think she likes you!"

Niles beamed, amazed at what he was doing. "Look at me, I'm holding a baby!" Disbelief was evident in his tone. He looked at Daphne, desperate for her approval.

"Oh, Dr. Crane. I'm so proud of you."

Daphne's words made Niles entirely forget his frustration over his divorce and living situation. In fact, at the moment, he felt on top of the world.


	4. Chapter 4

Niles and Daphne laid Alice down in her crib. Daphne had expected the baby to be tired, based on what Roz had told her. But apparently no one had told Alice that. She continued to fuss and cry. "What do we do?" Daphne asked in frustration.

"Well, I do have one idea," Niles said. "'Heart and Soul.' How about it?"

"Do you really think that would work?"

"What other choice do we have?" Niles asked. "If you're worried about how you'll sound, you shouldn't be. You have a lovely voice."

Daphne blushed. "Thank you."

"Shall we?" Niles asked. Alice's cries continued. "I believe our audience has spoken."

"Well, all right," Daphne said, still unsure.

They began to sing. Daphne was shy at first, but she began to enjoy it once she got into the moment.

Niles, meanwhile, had no trouble singing the song. "Heart and soul, I fell in love with you. Heart and soul..." His eyes never left Daphne's as he sang, hoping the words would go to her heart.

By the time the song ended, both had nearly forgotten Alice was there. She now lay in her crib, sound asleep.

"We'd better let her rest," Daphne whispered. Niles nodded and followed her out of the room.

"Well, we know one thing for sure," Daphne said when they reached the living room. "Alice loves your voice."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think babies tend to fall asleep to music. It's something to do with the rhythm."

"Well, whatever it was, it worked. That's all that matters." Both were quiet for a moment. Daphne broke the silence. "Can I get you anything?"

Niles shook his head. "No. You don't work here, remember?"

"I know, I was just being polite," Daphne replied. She sat next to him on the couch. "I'm glad you're here, Dr. Crane."

"Well, I'm glad to be here. Or anywhere, as long as it isn't my apartment," Niles replied.

Daphne reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be," Niles said. The compassion in her eyes made him melt. "It's just the price I have to pay to be free of Maris once and for all. I knew it wouldn't be easy."

"I'm sure once all of this is over, you'll be much happier," Daphne said.

Niles nodded, not quite sure how to respond. He knew that he would never be truly happy loving Daphne from afar.

As Daphne looked at Dr. Crane, she caught a glimpse of one of the photos on Roz's wall. It was one of Roz and Alice, both smiling happily. Though they were not the typical American family, it was clear that Roz loved her daughter, and vice versa. The picture made Daphne remember her thoughts from the other night.

Niles noticed that Daphne suddenly seemed upset. "Is something wrong?" Daphne let out a frustrated sigh. "I'll take that as a yes," Niles said. He took hold of her hand, stroking it with his thumb. "What is it?"

Daphne couldn't believe it. Dr. Crane was in the middle of a bitter divorce, living in an apartment that was way beneath him, and yet he was asking about _her _problems. When she thought about his situation, hers suddenly seemed trivial.

Niles' heart broke at her expression. She was obviously hurting. "Daphne, I hope you know that you can tell me anything."

Daphne heard his words, and she knew they were true. He'd always been there every time she needed him. But now, he needed a friend at least as badly as she did. Still, she knew he wouldn't give up until she told him what was bothering her. So she might as well say it. It might even make her feel better. "Sometimes, I'm jealous of Roz," she finally whispered.

Niles didn't know what he'd expected, but Daphne's answer wasn't it. "That's absurd. Why would you feel that way?" he immediately answered.

"Well, look at her life," Daphne said, pointing at the pictures. "She always has a boyfriend. Even when she loses one, she finds another before you know it. And even if she didn't, she'd still come home every night to someone who loves her. And look at my life. What have I got?"

"Daphne, you come home to people who love you, too. You know much Dad and Frasier care about you."

"I know," she admitted. "And I love them. It's just that...I want a family of my _own_, Dr. Crane."

"Oh, Daphne," Niles said. He knew he should say something. The words were all there, in his heart. But somehow he couldn't get them out. It seemed as if everything he wanted were just out of his reach. "I...I..."

Daphne squeezed his hand. "It's all right, Dr. Crane. It's silly of me to be going on about meself like this, considering what you're going through."

"No, Daphne, that's not it. I...just..." Once again, he was at a loss for words. Suddenly he stopped, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Then, before he could lose his nerve, he spoke again. "I love you."


	5. Chapter 5

Before Daphne could do more than stare at Niles in shock and disbelief, the front door opened, and Roz unexpectedly walked in.

"I haven't been out a decent date in months, and when I finally _do_ get a break, what happens? The guy runs into his ex-girlfriend at a Springsteen concert. Well, if she wants him back, she can have him!" When Roz's rant ended, she saw Niles and Daphne sitting on the couch. "Niles, what are you doing here? What's going on?"

Niles immediately stood, placing himself in front of Daphne. "Roz, please don't be angry with Daphne. I know I'm not really supposed to be here right now, but Daphne was only trying to help me. My divorce from Maris hasn't been going well lately, so she thought I could use a break from my lonely existence at the Shangri-La."

At the moment, Roz was not particularly impressed with the opposite sex. And she and Niles had never seen eye-to-eye very much over the years. But she thought about Frasier, and what a good friend he'd always been to her. How he'd always loved Alice like a daughter. Niles was his younger brother and best friend. Instead of telling him off, as she might have liked, she merely sighed. "Look, I've had a very difficult night myself. So right now, all I want to do is check on my daughter, watch a little TV, and go to bed."

Niles nodded. "Daphne and I will be out of your hair as quickly as possible. But I need to talk to her right now about something very important that can't wait another moment. Please, if you'll just give us a few minutes of privacy, I'd really appreciate it."

Roz had no idea what Niles was talking about. But she had no desire to stay and find out. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. "Fine," she said. "I'll go back into the nursery. But you guys better make this quick!"

Daphne's heart went out to Roz. She deeply regretted what she'd said about envying her friend's life. But none of that mattered now. She got up from her seat on the couch and walked over to where Roz was standing. "I'm sorry your date didn't work out." Daphne hugged her friend tightly. "I'll call you tomorrow, all right?"

Roz nodded, giving Daphne's hand a grateful squeeze. With that, she turned and walked back towards her daughter's room.

"Daphne," Niles said.

At the sound of her name, Daphne turned and walked back to the couch. She leaned down, gently kissing Niles' cheek. "Thank you." She sat down opposite him.

Niles felt his cheek burn from her kiss. "For what?"

"For what you said to Roz." Tears began to fill her eyes. "And what you said to me."

Niles once again took hold of Daphne's hand, feeling its softness. He brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "I should be the one thanking _you_. I can't imagine how I would've ever gotten through these past few months without you. Just seeing you made me happy."

Daphne wondered how she could've not seen the signs. He was always dropping by the apartment. But she'd assumed it was because of his brother. The two were inseperable. Now that she thought about it, there were other things, too. The way he always greeted her with a smile, or how he complimented her, no matter what she was wearing. She'd taken it all as simple kindness, but now she saw it was so much more. She was through thinking things over. It was time to follow her heart. So, she leaned forward slowly, feeling her heartrate increase. When their lips met, Daphne knew at once that what she'd been praying for since she was a little girl had finally happened. She'd found her true love, in the last place she'd ever thought to look: right in front of her.

**The End**


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